Search Results (235)

This study investigates the spatial coupling between geohazard susceptibility and soil conservation capacity in Guangdong Province, China, using integrated spatial analysis and machine learning approaches. Through kernel density estimation, hotspot analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and t-SNE clustering applied to 11,252 geohazard records and nine soil conservation factors, we identify three critical mechanisms: (1) Topographic steepness (LS factor) constitutes the primary control on geohazard distribution (r = 0.162, p < 0.001), with high-risk clusters concentrated in northeastern mountainous regions (Meizhou-Huizhou-Heyuan); (2) Vegetation coverage (C_mean) mediates rainfall impacts, exhibiting significant risk reduction (r = −0.099, p < 0.001) despite counterintuitive negative correlations with mean rainfall erosivity; (3) Soil conservation effectiveness depends on topographic context, reducing geohazard density in moderate slopes (Cluster 0: 527.04) but proving insufficient in extreme terrain (Cluster 2: LS = 20.587). The emerging role of rainfall variability (R_slope, r = 0.183) highlights climate change impacts. Full article

Zero-day attacks pose a persistent threat to computing infrastructure by exploiting previously unknown software vulnerabilities that evade traditional signature-based network intrusion detection systems (NIDSs). To address this limitation, machine learning (ML) techniques offer a promising approach for enhancing anomaly detection in network traffic. This study evaluates several ML models on a labeled network traffic dataset, with a focus on zero-day attack detection. Ensemble learning methods, particularly eXtreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), achieved perfect classification, identifying all 6231 zero-day instances without false positives and maintaining efficient training and prediction times. While classical support vector machines (SVMs) performed modestly at 64% accuracy, their performance improved to 98% with the use of the borderline synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) and SMOTE + edited nearest neighbours (SMOTEENN). To explore quantum-enhanced alternatives, a quantum SVM (QSVM) is implemented using three-qubit and four-qubit quantum circuits simulated on the aer_simulator_statevector. The QSVM achieved high accuracy (99.89%) and strong F1-scores (98.95%), indicating that nonlinear quantum feature maps (QFMs) can increase sensitivity to zero-day exploit patterns. Unlike prior work that applies standard quantum kernels, this study introduces a parameterised quantum feature encoding scheme, where each classical feature is mapped using a nonlinear function tuned by a set of learnable parameters. Additionally, a sparse entanglement topology is derived from mutual information between features, ensuring a compact and data-adaptive quantum circuit that aligns with the resource constraints of noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices. Our contribution lies in formalising a quantum circuit design that enables scalable, expressive, and generalisable quantum architectures tailored for zero-day attack detection. This extends beyond conventional usage of QSVMs by offering a principled approach to quantum circuit construction for cybersecurity. While these findings are obtained via noiseless simulation, they provide a theoretical proof of concept for the viability of quantum ML (QML) in network security. Future work should target real quantum hardware execution and adaptive sampling techniques to assess robustness under decoherence, gate errors, and dynamic threat environments. Full article

The safety associated with the bearing capacity of pile foundations is intrinsically linked to the overall safety, stability, and economic viability of structural systems. In response to the need for rapid and precise predictions of pile bearing capacity, this study introduces a kernel extreme learning machine (KELM) prediction model optimized through a multi-strategy improved beetle optimization algorithm (IDBO), referred to as the IDBO-KELM model. The model utilizes the pile length, pile diameter, average effective vertical stress, and undrained shear strength as input variables, with the bearing capacity serving as the output variable. Initially, experimental data on pile bearing capacity was gathered from the existing literature and subsequently normalized to facilitate effective integration into the model training process. A detailed introduction of the multi-strategy improved beetle optimization algorithm (IDBO) is provided, with its superior performance validated through 23 benchmark functions. Furthermore, the Wilcoxon rank sum test was employed to statistically assess the experimental outcomes, confirming the IDBO algorithm’s superiority over other prevalent metaheuristic algorithms. The IDBO algorithm was then utilized to optimize the hyperparameters of the KELM model for predicting pile bearing capacity. In conclusion, the statistical metrics for the IDBO-KELM model demonstrated a root mean square error (RMSE) of 4.7875, a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.9313, and a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 10.71%. In comparison, the baseline KELM model exhibited an RMSE of 6.7357, an R² of 0.8639, and an MAPE of 18.47%. This represents an improvement exceeding 35%. These findings suggest that the IDBO-KELM model surpasses the KELM model across all evaluation metrics, thereby confirming its superior accuracy in predicting pile bearing capacity. Full article

Background/Objectives: Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a common first-line approach in the treatment of numerous infertile couples, especially in cases of unexplained infertility. Its relatively low success rate, however, could benefit from the development of AI-based support tools to predict its outcome, thus helping the clinical management of patients undergoing IUI cycles. Our objective was to develop a robust and accurate machine learning model that predicts pregnancy outcomes following IUI. Methods: A retrospective, observational, and single-center study was conducted. In total, 3535 couples (aged 18–43 years) that underwent IUI between January 2011 and December 2015 were recruited. Twenty-one clinical and laboratory parameters of 9501 IUI cycles were used to train different machine learning algorithms. Accuracy of pregnancy outcome was evaluated by an area under the curve (AUC) analysis. Results: The linear SVM outperformed AdaBoost, Kernel SVM, Random Forest, Extreme Forest, Bagging, and Voting classifiers. Pre-wash sperm concentration, the ovarian stimulation protocol, cycle length, and maternal age were strong predictors of a positive pregnancy test following IUI (AUC = 0.78). Paternal age was found to be the worst predictor. Conclusions: Our Linear SVM model predicts a positive pregnancy outcome following IUI. Although this model shows value for the clinical management of infertile patients and informed decision-making by the patients, further validation using independent datasets is required prior to clinical implementation. Full article

Climate change poses significant challenges to temperate rice production, particularly affecting grain quality and market acceptance. This review synthesizes current knowledge of climate-induced quality changes, with a focus on the Australian rice industry as a case study with comparisons to other temperate regions. Environmental stressors such as extreme temperatures, variable rainfall, elevated CO₂, and salinity disrupt biochemical pathways during grain development, altering physicochemical, textural, and aromatic traits. Different rice classes exhibit distinct vulnerabilities: medium-grain japonica varieties show reduced amylose under heat stress, aromatic varieties experience disrupted aroma synthesis under drought, and long-grain types suffer kernel damage under combined stresses. Temperature is a key driver, with quality deterioration occurring above 35 °C and below 15 °C. Systems biology analyses reveal complex signalling networks underpinning these stress responses, although experimental validation remains limited. The Australian industry has responded by developing cold-tolerant cultivars, precision agriculture, and water-saving practices, yet projected climate variability demands more integrated strategies. Priorities include breeding for stress-resilient quality traits, refining water management, and deploying advanced phenotyping tools. Emerging technologies like hyperspectral imaging and machine learning offer promise for rapid quality assessment and adaptive management. Sustaining high-quality rice in temperate zones requires innovation linking physiology with practical adaptation. Full article

The internal quality detection is extremely important. To solve the challenges of walnut quality detection, we presented the first comprehensive investigation of walnut quality detection method using X-ray imaging and deep learning model. An X-ray machine vision system was designed, and a walnut kernel detection (called WKD) dataset was constructed. Then, an effective walnut kernel detection network (called WKNet) was developed by employing Transformer, GhostNet, and criss-cross attention (called CCA) module to the YOLO v5s model, aiming to solve the time consuming and parameter redundancy issues. The WKNet achieved an mAP_0.5 of 0.9869, precision of 0.9779, and recall of 0.9875 for walnut kernel detection. The inference time per image is only 11.9 ms. Extensive comparison experiments with the state-of-the-art (SOTA) deep learning models demonstrated the advanced nature of WKNet. The online test of walnut internal quality detection also shows satisfactory performance. The innovative combination of X-ray imaging and WKNet provide significant implications for walnut quality control. Full article

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been extensively studied for hydrogen storage due to their unique properties. This paper aims to develop several regression-based machine learning models to predict the hydrogen storage capacity of MOFs, including artificial neuron network (ANN), support vector regression (SVR), random forest (RF), extreme learning machine (ELM), kernel extreme learning machine (KELM), and generalized regression neural network (GRNN). An improved population-based metaheuristic optimization algorithm, the artificial lemming algorithm (ALA), is employed to select the hyperparameters of these machine learning models, enhancing their performance. All developed models are trained and tested using experimental data from multiple studies. The performance of the models is evaluated using various statistical metrics, complemented by regression plots, error analysis, and Taylor graphs to further identify the most effective predictive model. The results show that the ALA-RF model obtains the best performance in predicting hydrogen storage, with optimal values of coefficient of determination (R²), root mean square error (RMSE), Willmott’s index (WI), and weighted average percentage error (WAPE) in both training and testing phases (0.9845 and 0.9840, 0.2719 and 0.2828, 0.9961 and 0.9959, and 0.0667 and 0.0714, respectively). Additionally, pressure is identified as the most significant feature for predicting hydrogen storage in MOFs. These findings provide an intelligent solution for the selection of MOFs and optimization of operational conditions in hydrogen storage processes. Full article

Mental illness has emerged as a significant global health crisis, inflicting immense suffering and causing a notable decrease in productivity. Identifying mental health disorders at an early stage allows healthcare professionals to implement more targeted and impactful interventions, leading to a significant improvement in the overall well-being of the patient. Recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have opened new avenues for analyzing medical records and behavioral data of patients to assist mental health professionals in their decision-making processes. In this study performance of four Randomized Neural Networks (RandNNs) such as Board Learning System (BLS), Random Vector Functional Link Network (RVFLN), Kernelized RVFLN (KRVFLN), and Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) are explored for detecting the type of mental illness a user may have by analyzing the random text of the user posted on social media. To improve the performance of the RandNNs during handling the text documents with unbalanced class distributions, a hybrid feature selection (FS) technique named as TOPSIS-ModCHI is suggested in the preprocessing stage of the classification framework. The effectiveness of the suggested FS with all the four randomized networks is assessed over the publicly available Reddit Mental Health Dataset after experimenting on two benchmark multiclass unbalanced datasets. From the experimental results, it is inferred that detecting the mental illness using BLS with TOPSIS-ModCHI produces the highest precision value of 0.92, recall value of 0.66, f-measure value of 0.77, and Hamming loss value of 0.06 as compared to ELM, RVFLN, and KRVFLN with a minimum feature size of 900. Overall, utilizing BLS for mental health analysis can offer a promising avenue toward improved interventions and a better understanding of mental health issues, aiding in decision-making processes. Full article

Dams are critical infrastructures that provide essential services such as water supply, hydroelectric power generation, and flood control. As many dams age, the risk of structural failure increases, making safety assurance more urgent than ever. Traditional monitoring systems typically employ predictive models—based on techniques such as the finite element method (FEM) or machine learning (ML)—to compare real-time data against expected performance. However, these models often rely on static warning thresholds, which fail to reflect the dynamic conditions affecting dam behavior, including fluctuating water levels, temperature variations, and extreme weather events. This study introduces an adaptive warning threshold methodology for dam safety based on kernel density estimation (KDE). The approach incorporates a boosted regression tree (BRT) model for predictive analysis, identifying influential variables such as reservoir levels and ambient temperatures. KDE is then used to estimate the density of historical data, allowing for dynamic calibration of warning thresholds. In regions of low data density—where prediction uncertainty is higher—the thresholds are widened to reduce false alarms, while in high-density regions, stricter thresholds are maintained to preserve sensitivity. The methodology was validated using data from an arch dam, demonstrating improved anomaly detection capabilities. It successfully reduced false positives in data-sparse conditions while maintaining high sensitivity to true anomalies in denser data regions. These results confirm that the proposed methodology successfully meets the goals of enhancing reliability and adaptability in dam safety monitoring. This adaptive framework offers a robust enhancement to dam safety monitoring systems, enabling more reliable detection of structural issues under variable operating conditions. Full article

The issue of insufficient multi-scale feature extraction and difficulty in accurately classifying fault features in rolling bearing fault diagnosis is addressed by proposing a novel diagnostic method that integrates stochastic convolutional neural networks (SCNNs) and a hybrid kernel extreme learning machine (HKELM). First, the convolutional layers of the CNN were designed as multi-branch parallel layers to extract richer features. A stochastic pooling layer, based on a Bernoulli distribution, was introduced to retain more spatial feature information while ensuring feature diversity. This approach enabled the adaptive extraction, dimensionality reduction, and elimination of redundant information from the vibration signal features of rolling bearings. Subsequently, an HKELM classifier with multiple kernel functions was constructed. Key parameters of the HKELM were dynamically adjusted using a novel optimization algorithm, significantly enhancing fault diagnosis accuracy and system stability. Experimental validation was performed using bearing data from Paderborn University. A comparative study with traditional diagnostic methods demonstrated that the proposed model excelled in both fault classification accuracy and adaptability across operating conditions. Experimental results showed a fault classification accuracy exceeding 99%, confirming the practical value of the method. Full article

Hypertensive retinopathy (HR) is a serious eye disease that can lead to permanent vision loss if not diagnosed early. The conventional diagnostic methods are subjective and time-consuming, so there is a need for an automated and reliable system. In this study, a three-stage method that provides high accuracy in HR diagnosis is proposed. In the first stage, 14 well-known Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models were evaluated, and the top three models were identified. Among these models, DenseNet169 achieved the highest accuracy rate of 87.73%. In the second stage, the deep features obtained from these three models were combined and classified using machine learning (ML) algorithms including Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost). The SVM with a sigmoid kernel achieved the best performance (92% accuracy). In the third stage, feature selection was performed using metaheuristic optimization techniques including Genetic Algorithm (GA), Artificial Bee Colony (ABC), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), and Harris Hawk Optimization (HHO). The HHO algorithm increased the classification accuracy to 94.66%, enhancing the model’s generalization ability and reducing misclassifications. The proposed method provides superior accuracy in the diagnosis of HR at different severity levels compared to single-model CNN approaches. These results demonstrate that the integration of Deep Learning (DL), ML, and optimization techniques holds significant potential in automated HR diagnosis. Full article

The battery management system (BMS) is crucial for the efficient operation of batteries, with state of health (SOH) prediction being one of its core functions. Accurate SOH prediction can optimize battery management, enhance utilization and range, and extend battery lifespan. This study proposes an SOH estimation model for lithium-ion batteries that integrates the Crested Porcupine Optimizer (CPO) for parameter optimization, Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) for prediction, and Adaptive Bandwidth Kernel Function Density Estimation (ABKDE) for uncertainty quantification, aiming to enhance the long-term reliability and sustainability of energy storage systems. Health factors (HFs) are extracted by analyzing the charging voltage curves and capacity increment curves of lithium-ion batteries, and their correlation with battery capacity is validated using Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients. The ELM model is optimized using the CPO algorithm to fine-tune input weights (IWs) and biases (Bs), thereby enhancing prediction performance. Additionally, ABKDE-based probability density estimation is introduced to construct confidence intervals for uncertainty quantification, further improving prediction accuracy and stability. Experiments using the NASA battery aging dataset validate the proposed model. Comparative analysis with different models demonstrates that the CPO-ELM-ABKDE model achieves SOH estimation with a mean absolute error (MAE) and root-mean-square error (RMSE) within 0.65% and 1.08%, respectively, significantly outperforming other approaches. Full article

To overcome the limitations of characteristic parameter identification and inadequate fault recognition rates in bearings, a bearing fault diagnosis method combining the improved whale optimization algorithm (IWOA), variational mode decomposition (VMD), and kernel extreme learning machine (KELM) is proposed. Firstly, to improve the convergence behavior and global search capability of the WOA, we introduced adaptive weight, a variable spiral shape parameter, and a Cauchy neighborhood perturbation strategy to improve the performance of the original algorithm. Secondly, to enhance the effectiveness of feature extraction, the IWOA was used to optimize the number of modal components and penalty coefficients in the VMD algorithm; then, we could obtain the optimal modal components and construct feature vectors based on the optimal modal components. Next, we used the IWOA to optimize the two key parameters, the regularization coefficient C and kernel parameter γ of KELM, and the feature vector was used as the input of KELM to achieve fault diagnosis. Finally, data collected from different experimental platforms were used for experimental analysis. The results indicate that the IWOA-VMD-KELM bearing fault diagnosis model significantly improved its accuracy compared to other models, achieving accuracies of 98.8% and 98.4% on the CWRU dataset and Southeast University dataset, respectively. Full article

In recent years, the Yellow River Basin has experienced frequent extreme climate events, with an increasing intensity and frequency of droughts, exacerbating regional water scarcity and severely constraining agricultural irrigation efficiency and sustainable water resource utilization. The accurate estimation of reference crop evapotranspiration (ET₀) is crucial for developing scientifically sound irrigation strategies and enhancing water resource management capabilities. This study utilized daily scale meteorological data from 31 stations across the Yellow River Basin spanning the period 1960–2023 to develop various machine learning models. The study constructed four machine learning models—random forest (RF), a Support Vector Machine (SVM), Gradient Boosting (GB), and Ridge Regression (Ridge)—using the meteorological variables required by the Priestley–Taylor (PT) and Hargreaves (HG) equations as inputs. These models represent a range of algorithmic structures, from nonlinear ensemble methods (RF, GB) to kernel-based regression (SVR) and linear regularized regression (Ridge). The objective was to comprehensively evaluate their performance and robustness in estimating ET₀ under different climatic zones and drought conditions and to compare them with traditional empirical formulas. The main findings are as follows: machine learning models, particularly nonlinear approaches, significantly outperformed the PT and HG methods across all climatic regions. Among them, the RF model demonstrated the highest simulation accuracy, achieving an R² of 0.77, and reduced the mean daily ET₀ estimation error by 0.057 mm/day and 0.076 mm/day compared to the PT and HG models, respectively. Under drought-year scenarios, although all models showed slight performance degradation, nonlinear machine learning models still surpassed traditional formulas, with the R² of the RF model decreasing marginally from 0.77 to 0.73, indicating strong robustness. In contrast, linear models such as Ridge Regression exhibited greater sensitivity to changes in feature distributions during drought years, with estimation accuracy dropping significantly below that of the PT and HG methods. The results indicate that in data-sparse regions, machine learning approaches with simplified inputs can serve as effective alternatives to empirical formulas, offering superior adaptability and estimation accuracy. This study provides theoretical foundations and methodological support for regional water resource management, agricultural drought mitigation, and climate-resilient irrigation planning in the Yellow River Basin. Full article

Wholesale market prices of agricultural products, being essential to the daily lives of consumers, are closely tied to living standards and the overall stability of the agricultural market. The use of a single model to predict nonlinear and dynamic agricultural price time series often results in low accuracy due to suboptimal use of available information. To address this issue, this paper proposes a combined residual correction-based prediction method. Initially, the sparrow search algorithm (SSA) is used to optimize the penalty factors and kernel parameters of support vector regression (SVR) and the input weights and hidden layer biases of the extreme learning machine (ELM), thereby improving the convergence rate and predictive accuracy of these models. Subsequently, the induced ordered weighted averaging (IOWA) operator is applied to determine the weight vectors for the SSA-SVR and SSA-ELM models, reducing the fluctuating prediction accuracies of individual models at different times. Finally, the residuals of the generalized regression neural network (GRNN) model are forecasted using a combined residual correction method that integrates SSA-SVR and SSA-ELM based on the IOWA operator, refining the GRNN’s forecast outcomes. An empirical analysis was performed by comparing the results of nine individual forecasting models on monthly pork prices in Beijing. The findings indicate that the SSA-SVR, SSA-GRNN, and SSA-ELM models outperformed the SVR, GRNN, and ELM models in terms of forecasting accuracy, respectively. This improvement is attributed to the parameter optimization of the SVR, GRNN, and ELM models through the SSA. The proposed model also showed superior forecasting accuracy compared to the nine individual models. The results confirm that the proposed model is an effective tool for predicting agricultural product prices and can be applied to forecast prices of other agricultural products with similar characteristics. Full article